At the Pike's Command" (or "By the Pike's Will")

Once upon a time, there lived an old man. He had three sons: two were smart, and the third, Emelya, was a fool.

The brothers worked, but Emelya spent all day lying on the stove, not wanting to know anything.

One day, the brothers went to the market, and the women, their sisters-in-law, started sending Emelya on errands:

"Go, Emelya, fetch some water."

But he replied from the stove:

"Don't feel like it..."

"Go, Emelya, or else when your brothers return from the market, they won't bring you any treats."

"Fine, then."

Emelya climbed down from the stove, put on his shoes and clothes, took the buckets and an axe, and went to the river.

He chopped a hole in the ice, filled the buckets, and set them down, then peered into the hole. And there, Emelya saw a pike in the water. He quickly grabbed it with his hand:

"Ah, this will make a tasty fish soup!"

Suddenly, the pike spoke to him in a human voice:

"Emelya, let me go back into the water, and I will be of use to you."

But Emelya laughed:

"How could you be of use to me? No, I'll take you home and have my sisters-in-law cook you into soup. It will be delicious."

The pike pleaded again:

"Emelya, Emelya, let me go, and I will grant you anything you wish."

"Alright, but first show me that you're not lying, then I'll let you go."

The pike asked him:

"Emelya, Emelya, tell me—what do you want right now?"

"I want the buckets to go home by themselves, and the water not to spill..."

The pike said to him:

"Remember my words: whenever you want something, just say:

'By the pike's command, by my own desire.'"

Emelya then said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—go, buckets, home by yourselves..."

As soon as he said it, the buckets started moving uphill on their own. Emelya released the pike into the hole and followed the buckets.

The buckets moved through the village, and the people marveled, while Emelya walked behind, chuckling... The buckets entered the house and placed themselves on the bench, and Emelya climbed back onto the stove.

Some time passed, and the sisters-in-law said to him:

"Emelya, why are you lying there? Go chop some firewood."

"Don't feel like it..."

"If you don't chop the wood, your brothers will return from the market and won't bring you any treats."

Emelya didn't feel like getting off the stove. He remembered the pike and quietly said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—go, axe, chop the firewood, and let the logs stack themselves in the house and lay themselves in the stove..."

The axe jumped out from under the bench and went outside, chopping firewood, while the logs stacked themselves in the house and laid themselves in the stove.

More time passed, and the sisters-in-law said again:

"Emelya, we're out of firewood. Go to the forest and chop some more."

But he replied from the stove:

"What are you here for?"

"What do you mean, what are we here for? Isn't it our job to go to the forest for firewood?"

"Don't feel like it..."

"Well, then you won't get any gifts."

Emelya had no choice. He climbed down from the stove, put on his shoes and clothes, took a rope and the axe, went outside, and sat in the sleigh:

"Women, open the gates!"

The sisters-in-law said to him:

"What are you doing, fool? You sat in the sleigh but didn't harness the horse?"

"I don't need a horse."

The sisters-in-law opened the gates, and Emelya quietly said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—go, sleigh, to the forest..."

The sleigh moved through the gates on its own, so fast that even a horse couldn't catch up.

But to get to the forest, he had to pass through the town, and there he ran over and crushed many people. The people shouted, "Stop him! Catch him!" But he just kept driving the sleigh. He reached the forest:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—axe, chop some dry firewood, and you, logs, stack yourselves in the sleigh and tie yourselves up..."

The axe began chopping dry wood, and the logs stacked themselves in the sleigh and tied themselves with the rope. Then Emelya ordered the axe to carve him a club—so heavy that it was hard to lift. He sat on the load:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—go, sleigh, home..."

The sleigh raced home. Again, Emelya passed through the town where he had crushed many people earlier, and this time they were waiting for him. They grabbed Emelya, dragged him off the sleigh, cursed him, and beat him.

Seeing that things were bad, he quietly said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—go, club, break their sides..."

The club jumped out and started beating them. The people ran away, and Emelya returned home and climbed back onto the stove.

Some time later, the tsar heard about Emelya's antics and sent an officer to find him and bring him to the palace.

The officer arrived in the village, entered the hut where Emelya lived, and asked:

"Are you the fool Emelya?"

And he replied from the stove:

"What do you care?"

"Get dressed quickly, I'm taking you to the tsar."

"Don't feel like it..."

The officer got angry and slapped him. Emelya quietly said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—go, club, break his sides..."

The club jumped out and started beating the officer, who barely escaped with his life.

The tsar was surprised that his officer couldn't handle Emelya and sent his highest nobleman:

"Bring the fool Emelya to my palace, or I'll have your head."

The nobleman bought raisins, prunes, and gingerbread, went to the village, entered the hut, and asked the sisters-in-law what Emelya liked.

"Our Emelya likes it when you ask him kindly and promise him a red caftan—then he'll do anything you ask," they said.

The nobleman gave Emelya raisins, prunes, and gingerbread and said:

"Emelya, Emelya, why are you lying on the stove? Let's go to the tsar."

"I'm warm here..."

"Emelya, Emelya, the tsar will feed and treat you well—please, come with me."

"Don't feel like it..."

"Emelya, Emelya, the tsar will give you a red caftan, a hat, and boots."

Emelya thought for a while:

"Alright, you go ahead, and I'll follow."

The nobleman left, and Emelya lay for a while longer, then said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—go, stove, to the tsar..."

The corners of the hut creaked, the roof shook, the wall flew out, and the stove moved through the streets, heading straight to the tsar.

The tsar looked out the window in amazement:

"What kind of miracle is this?"

The nobleman replied:

"That's Emelya coming to you on the stove."

The tsar went out to the porch:

"Emelya, there are many complaints about you! You've crushed a lot of people."

"Why did they get in the way of my sleigh?"

At that moment, the tsar's daughter, Marya the Princess, looked at him through the window. Emelya saw her and quietly said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—let the tsar's daughter fall in love with me..."

And he added:

"Go, stove, home..."

The stove turned around and went home, entering the hut and returning to its place. Emelya lay down again.

Meanwhile, there was crying and wailing in the tsar's palace. Marya the Princess missed Emelya and couldn't live without him, begging her father to let her marry Emelya. The tsar was distressed and again sent the nobleman:

"Go, bring me Emelya, alive or dead, or I'll have your head."

The nobleman bought sweet wines and various snacks, went to the village, entered the hut, and started treating Emelya.

Emelya drank, ate, got tipsy, and fell asleep. The nobleman put him in a cart and took him to the tsar.

The tsar immediately ordered a large barrel with iron hoops to be brought. They put Emelya and Marya the Princess inside, sealed it, and threw it into the sea.

Some time later, Emelya woke up and saw that it was dark and cramped:

"Where am I?"

And a voice replied:

"It's boring and sad, Emelyushka! They sealed us in a barrel and threw us into the blue sea."

"Who are you?"

"I am Marya the Princess."

Emelya said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—wild winds, roll the barrel onto the dry shore, onto the yellow sand..."

The wild winds blew. The sea stirred, and the barrel was thrown onto the dry shore, onto the yellow sand. Emelya and Marya the Princess climbed out.

"Emelyushka, where will we live? Build us some kind of hut."

"Don't feel like it..."

She begged him even more, and he said:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—build a stone palace with a golden roof..."

As soon as he said it, a stone palace with a golden roof appeared. Around it was a green garden: flowers bloomed, and birds sang. Marya the Princess and Emelya entered the palace and sat by the window.

"Emelyushka, can't you become handsome?"

Emelya didn't think long:

"By the pike's command, by my own desire—let me become a fine young man, a handsome lad..."

And Emelya became so handsome that no words could describe him.

At that time, the tsar was out hunting and saw the palace where nothing had been before.

"Who dares build a palace on my land without my permission?"

And he sent messengers to ask: "Who are you?"

The messengers ran up to the window and asked.

Emelya replied:

"Ask the tsar to come as my guest, and I'll tell him myself."

The tsar came to visit. Emelya greeted him, led him into the palace, and seated him at the table. They began feasting. The tsar ate, drank, and marveled:

"Who are you, fine young man?"

"Do you remember the fool Emelya—how he came to you on the stove, and you ordered him to be sealed in a barrel with your daughter and thrown into the sea? I am that same Emelya. If I want, I can burn and destroy your entire kingdom."

The tsar was terrified and begged for forgiveness:

"Marry my daughter, Emelyushka, take my kingdom, just don't destroy me!"

They held a feast for the whole world. Emelya married Marya the Princess and began ruling the kingdom.

And that's the end of the tale, and whoever listened—well done!

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At the Pike's Command" (or "By the Pike's Will")

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